I’m not sure if people really need a breakdown any more of the games, but why not do one? It seems fun.
Superluminal Vagrant Twin vs Impossible Bottle
Like Max said, this is kind of like ‘breadth vs depth’. SVT has a lot of content, much of which the player never need see at all, but limits interaction with each area. Impossible Bottle is all about interaction, but there aren’t very many secrets to plumb once the game has been played.
Both do great with accessibility, SVT by using a limited parser with simple options and Impossible Bottle by adding hyperlinks that can beat the entire game except for one command (although that one command might have been hyperlinked later on, I can’t remember).
The Wizard Sniffer vs And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One
Both games use a fantasy setting to tell a story about relationships in the midst of a story about whacky characters. But the Wizard Sniffer lives in its fantasy world, while And Then You Come is outside of it. Both are surprisingly large games. Wizard Sniffer is more directly comedic, but tells a heartfelt story. And Then You Come To a House lets you pick what story it tells, with several different endings. It’s kind of like Shrek vs Neverending Story; a funny modern take on fantasy vs a story-with-a-story.
Coloratura vs Worldsmith
Two alien perspectives. Coloratura is intensely focused on the PC; everything you do is ‘colored’ by your bizarre nature and your attempt to understand humanity. By contrast, the PC in Worldsmith is almost entirel a blank slate; its the world and its setting that are alien, and gives you a new perspective on humans and human life.
For those playing Worldsmith for the first time, note that the competition at the beginning is only a small part of the game, and you don’t have to understand the rules. Just trying and doing bad should get you through the story fine.
Eat Me vs Counterfeit Monkey
Two master games by two master authors. Both feature worlds where almost everything is mutable. In Counterfeit Monkey, though, everything can be changed in numerous ways, with every new possible word unlocking a new transformation. In Eat Me, there is only one change: being consumed.
Counterfeit Monkey has a storyline touching on important real-life themes, strongly written characters, and so many fun mechanisms. Eat Me has more focus, with strong themes. I’d say Counterfeit Monkey is like Hamlet while Eat Me is like Othello; Hamlet has so many side tangents, so much wordplay, a play within a play, etc., while Othello is five acts of a relentless descent towards fate.
Spider and Web vs Toby’s Nose
Both of these games are about exploration followed by one decisive moment. Spider and Web has its infamous central puzzle, achieved after learning about various spy tools in detail. Toby’s Nose is an exercise in player exploration followed by the decisive moment of identifying the perpetrator.
In the exploration phase, however, the games are opposites. Spider and Web is all about fiddling with devices in an exact, precise manor. Toby’s Nose is a mostly one-verb game, with the mechanics being more like hidden image puzzles.
Repeat the Ending vs Slouching Toward Bedlam
I know someone who specifically didn’t want to see this matchup, as it pits two views of mental illness against each other and that’s not something they really wanted as part of a competition.
However, there are many things to consider here that aren’t directly tied to that. The styles of implementation are exactly opposite. Sloucing Towards Bedlam was implemented quickly and uses broad strokes to give the impression of a large world, and every response is carefully written to give a distinct effect. It’s like an Impressionist painting, simple strokes building up to a strong impression. Repeat the Ending is the opposite, heavy and baroque, each scene filled with commentary and footnotes and responses and feelies, like the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling or Rembrandt’s The Night Guard. Angel’s Food Cake vs Devil’s Food cake.
Mulldoon Legacy vs Savoir-Faire
Jon Ingold and Emily Short are two of the biggest names in IF, and these are both their big puzzle-heavy games. Mulldoon Legacy is much larger, but Savoir Faire has a unity of theme and mechanics that is pleasing. I think this one comes down to one’s taste in puzzle games.
Anchorhead vs Worlds Apart
These games have quite a bit in common. Both are large, sprawling games organized in three acts, with all three acts taking place in the same geographical locations but with changes over time. Both feature progressive discoveries about one’s closest loved one and have an opponent that is the ruthless head of a tightly-organized group.
Anchorhead, though, is shorter (though still very long!) and is filled with horror, while Worlds Apart is more about worldbuilding and acceptance.
